My Best Friend and Worst Enemy
by manly-nekomata
Summary: One is all smiles, and the other never cracks a laugh. These two are Azula's best friends on the outside, but Azula's use of fear and intimidation would turn the fruit of friendship into a deadly poison.


This fic is for week 2 of the pro-bending challenge!

 **Piece:** Bishop

 **Prompts**

 **Easy:** Ebony (word)

 **Medium:** Incense (smell)

 **Hard:** A Poison Tree by William Blake (poem)

 **Word count:** 1428

* * *

The Royal Fire Academy For Girls is a school that only enrolls the daughters of Fire Nation nobility. It was a school for the elite, and the families of the students knew this. When news of the Crown princess attending the Royal Fire Academy For Girls spread, parents would emphasized to their daughters about trying to become friends with her. It wasn't hard to imagine the importance of keeping good relations with the royal family, but they were just children not ready for the world of politics, nobles, but still children.

Ty Lee agreed to her parent's request, excited to get to meet the princess at her school.

Within the first fifteen minutes of entering her class Ty Lee made lots of friends. With the exception of one, who sat in her desk with her hand at her cheek radiating a grey aura, it seemed that everyone was getting along. Most of the conversations were about the mysterious princess who would attend their class. What was she like? Is she pretty? Friendly? Talented? Would she even want to be friends with them?

"Of course she would be pretty!" Ty Lee stated, though it was nothing more than a speculation.

The door slid open, and broke the waves of chatter. Seeing an adult who is possibly the teacher, the girls went back to their seats. When everyone was settled, she cleared her throat and announced.

"Welcome to the Royal Fire Academy For Girls! I am Ms. Wu your teacher for the year. I would like to let you know that, you girls have the privilege to learn in one of the most prestigious schools in the entire fire nation and become important later on."

Ms. Wu took a deep breath before continuing on.

"Today, we have the honour of having a very special individual come into our school. Although she is the princess, she is also one of your classmates too, so please treat her as a peer."

The door slid open, revealing a girl in a crimson uniform, with her ebony hair tied back into a knot. With confidence she walked to the front of the class. However, that wasn't what caught Ty Lee's eye. It was her aura, a deep crimson red like her uniform. What a suitable colour for a Fire Nation Princess.

"Hello, I am Azula, princess of the fire nation."

* * *

It wasn't long until the gloomy girl, who's name is Mai, Azula, and Ty Lee became close friends. Sometimes the three would play in the royal palace together.

Mai sat by the tree throwing knives, while Azula and Ty Lee did cartwheels on the grass.

"Like this! It's easy!" Ty Lee smiled, after she did a cartwheel.

Azula tried replicating the cart wheel and failed. She pushed Ty Lee down.

"Ow!" Ty Lee yelped, landing on her butt.

Azula laughed, and Ty Lee frowned.

"That wasn't nice!"

Under Azula's lead, the two pulled a prank on Zuko. It seemed the matter was forgotten.

 **I was angry with my friend;**

 **I told my wrath, my wrath did end**

* * *

The times that the three spent together grew apart. As they got older, priorities began to surface. Ty Lee left her house of identical sisters in pursuit of her own identity. She found her calling in the circus. It was short-lived. Azula showed up. She wanted Ty Lee to join her in her journey. Ty Lee was reluctant, choosing to do so when Azula made it too difficult for her to continue.

 **I was angry with my foe**

* * *

"I thought the circus was your calling," Mai commented.

"Azula called a little harder," Ty Lee shrugged.

 **I told it not, my wrath did grow.**

* * *

The three ventured into the earth nation, relentlessly pursued the Avatar time after time. On several occasions they came very close, but it wasn't until Ba Sing Se where the Avatar met his demise. Azula apparently shot him through the chest with lightning.

How fearsome.

Zuko ended up taking the credit, and returning to the fire nation with his honour restored.

 **And I watered it in fears,**

 **Night & morning with my tears**

* * *

Everything was supposed to be fine after that. The four even went to Ember Island for vacation, much to Zuko's displeasure.

"I love the seashell bed spread"

"Are you serious? It looks like a beach threw up all over it."

Walking to the shore, Azula stepped on a sandcastle. Ty Lee stared, but said nothing about it.

A boy approached her. "Would you like me to help you unpack?"

Ty Lee grinned, "Sure."

She put the giant bag onto his arms. He collapsed under its weight, and tried to take out the towel. It was cute how he tried. She pretended not to notice Azula's gaze on her back, when the boy acted as her shield, or when another guy presented her with a pretty shell, or when two of the guys started fanning her.

Azula decided to play beachball.

"Hey beach bums we are playing. Ty Lee! Get over here now!"

 **And I sunned it with smiles,**

* * *

A boy who invited the four to his party told Azula to, "Try to act normal ok?"

Azula is anything but normal.

For as long as Ty Lee knew Azula she never apologized for anything, so when Azula did so after some cruel remarks, Ty Lee was honestly surprised.

"Maybe I was… jealous," Azula admitted.

"You jealous of me?! But you are the most beautiful , smartest, perfect girl in the world!" Ty Lee gasped.

"I know that you are right about all those things, but when I try talking to other people, they act as I am going to be something terrible to them." Azula commented.

Ty Lee gave her some advice.

Though she doubt it would help, after hearing her 'laugh'.

 **And with soft deceitful wiles.**

* * *

Ty Lee watched as Azula told her story.

"My mother thought I was a monster. It was true, but it still hurts."

Azula shrugged it off as if was nothing, but these problems wouldn't just disappear if you just ignored it.

 **And it grew both day and night.**

 **Till it bore an apple bright.**

* * *

Everything broke apart for Azula since their visit to the Boiling Rock. Who would of though Mai had it in her to help Zuko over Azula?

"Looks like you miscalculated. My love for Zuko is stronger than my fear for you!" Mai gritted out.

"You are the one that miscalculated. You should fear me more!" Azula glared at the Mai.

Before any damage can be done, Ty Lee chi blocked Azula. The two of them were arrested. Ty Lee didn't say a word to Azula, but the message she given was clear.

She didn't regret her actions at all.

 **And my foe beheld it shine,**

 **And he knew that it was mine.**

* * *

It was the first time Ty Lee saw Azula since the war. Zuko wanted to see her after a year. A year did a lot of damage. What was left of the friend she once knew was reduced to a hollow container of the princess she once knew. How pitiful. Ty Lee chi blocks Azula, and escorts Zuko.

Azula thinks Ty Lee overcame her fear, but she is still afraid of her. Not that she needed to know.

The Kyoshi warriors was her calling now, and Azula can't take that away from her.

 **And into my garden stole,**

* * *

 **When the night had veiled the pole**

A couple months later on Kyoshi Island, Ty Lee sneaked out to the beach. It was a cool night without a breeze. The water shimmered, coarse grains could be felt under her feet as she walked a few meters from the waves by the rocks. After setting up a small altar, she burns some incense outside late at night. It's musky smoke filled the air, and filled her lungs. Ty Lee coughed. A rustle of light foot steps approached her. Ty Lee stayed silent.

"I was wondering what you were doing sneaking off." A voice rang. "Who is it for?"

There was a brief pause, before she turned around.

"For someone who used to be an old friend." Ty Lee responded.

Suki outside of her traditional garb looked at Ty Lee. Ty Lee who always smiled, was kneeling with an unreadable expression.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Ty Lee grinned.

"Don't be. It's fine." Ty Lee gets up, and walks away.

 **In the morning glad I see;**

 **My foe outstretched beneath the tree.**

How far you have fallen Azula.


End file.
